A Cranberry plastic surgery office has reached a consent decree with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over a lawsuit filed by an employee who claims she was discriminated against because she was pregnant.

Erin Griggle, hired as a secretary at Premier Plastic Surgery in June 2005, filed a discrimination complaint against the center in September 2007. After her supervisors learned she was pregnant, Ms. Griggle said, she was told to "suck in her belly," because if she didn't, she would scare away patients who went to the facility to "look better."

She was fired on Dec. 27, 2005, because, she was told, "she was not a good fit."

According to the lawsuit, when it was time to hire Ms. Griggle's replacement, Dr. Brian Heil, the president of the center, asked if the candidate "had a uterus."

As part of the consent decree, Premier has agreed to pay Ms. Griggle $75,000.

However, the agreement states that Premier Plastic Surgery entered into the consent decree "solely to avoid the time, expense and distraction of litigation."

As part of the settlement, both parties agree that it does not constitute a finding on the merits and "shall not be construed as an admission by defendant of any violation of Title VII."

Premier Plastic Surgery, which agreed to post a notice of the consent decree in its offices for the next three years, agrees to avoid pregnancy discrimination and not to retaliate against anyone, including Ms. Griggle, in the future. Also, officers at Premier must revise their current discrimination, harassment, retaliation and complaint procedures and provide annual anti-discrimination training to managers.